Rack systems for mounting ladders, equipment and other loads to the bed of pickup trucks and similar vehicles are well known in the prior art. Most systems of this type generally comprise a framework of four or more upright side rails, two of which are mounted atop or alongside one of the side walls of the truck with the other two located on the opposite side wall. Cross bars are connected between aligning side rails on opposite side walls so that they span the bed of the truck in position to support equipment, materials or other loads in an elevated position above the truck bed.
Headache racks may comprise or form part of rack systems of the type described above. Typically, headache racks include structure located in between the upright side rails of the rack system, and extending to the cross bar, so as to form a barrier in between the cab of the truck and its bed. This protects the occupants of the truck from the load being carried, and enhances the structural integrity of the rack system so that heavier loads may be supported.
A number of pickup trucks are currently available, and the lateral dimension of the beds of such vehicles varies from model-to-model and among the different manufacturers. A common problem with vehicle rack systems generally, and headache racks in particular, is their lack of adjustability in the lateral direction, i.e. in the direction between the side walls of the truck bed. One size does not fit all trucks. While it is possible to fabricate headache racks for truck beds of any given width, that is impractical because retailers do not have the space to inventory or display a large number of different size racks.